Nearly $200,000 was awarded to 31 victims of attorney theft, following a vote of the Board of Commissioners of the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection on Dec. 1. The compensation was in response to claims made against seven former or suspended attorneys who were found to have misappropriated client funds.

The board approved eligible claims totaling $198,610 against the following attorneys:

• Two clients of Nancy S. Schramski, an Allen County attorney who is deceased, were reimbursed a total of $2,575 due to Schramski’s failure to complete the requested legal services prior to her death in June 2016.
• Awards totaling $51,000 were made to two clients of suspended attorney Mark Minor George, of Cuyahoga County, as a result of George’s involvement in a Ponzi scheme. George pled guilty to federal criminal charges and was sentenced to 21 months in prison. His license to practice law in Ohio was suspended in November 2016.
• Two clients of deceased attorney Lawrence Landskroner, of Cuyahoga County, were reimbursed a total of $31,806 as a result of Landskroner’s failure to complete requested legal services prior to his death in July 2016.
• A client of deceased Cuyahoga County attorney Donald R. Murphy was reimbursed $1,650 because of Murphy’s failure to complete the requested legal services prior to his death in February 2016.
• Two clients of former Franklin County attorney Joseph Dues Reed were reimbursed a total of $6,525 due to Reed’s failure to provide requested legal services. The attorney resigned from the practice of law in Ohio, with discipline pending, on April 12, 2017.
• A total of $104,679 was reimbursed to 21 former wards of deceased Franklin County attorney Paul S. Kormanik because of the attorney’s misappropriation of funds while serving as guardian. Kormanik resigned from the practice of law in Ohio in May 2015, with disciplinary action pending. Earlier that year, he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft. He died in October 2015.
• A client of former Hamilton County attorney Harold K. Garrison was reimbursed $375 because of the attorney’s failure to provide the requested legal services. Garrison resigned from the practice of law in Ohio, with discipline pending, in March 2014.

The Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, formerly known as the Clients’ Security Fund, was created in 1985 by the Ohio Supreme Court to reimburse victims of attorney theft, embezzlement, or misappropriation. It is funded by registration fees paid by all Ohio attorneys.

Clients who believe they have sustained financial losses because of attorney wrongdoings should call 800.231.1680.